Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has often talked about how important the City Game with Duquesne is to the Panthers, how competitive the series is and how it is a game that should be played annually.
Of course, all of that is the right thing to say, but considering he is 12-0 against Duquesne, and the Panthers have won 14 games in a row against the Dukes, it is probably fair to ask how much of a rivalry this game really is going into tonight’s matchup at Consol Energy Center.
Dixon objected to the question when posed to him Thursday even though the Panthers (4-1) have dominated the Dukes in his tenure, and really have owned the series since 1982 when they left the Eastern Eight Conference and joined the Big East. Since that year, Pitt is 31-3 against Duquesne, but Dixon believes the series will become more even now with Jim Ferry at the helm of the Dukes.
“There is no question [it is still a rivalry],” Dixon said. “If you go back in the history, they were the better team back in the day, and I understand the history of Duquesne basketball and how good they were. They were ahead of their time back then. That was a different time, a different culture and there were different rules.
“But basketball is important to them. They put a great emphasis in it and we understand how important this game is. These games are tough, they always have been tough, and I could speak about how tough they are and the crowds that we get, and those kinds of crowds are rare for a midweek game anywhere in the country at this point in the season.
“So it is a big game for all of those reasons.”
Duquesne (6-1) is much improved under Ferry, who is in his fourth season, playing a fun brand of up-tempo basketball, while averaging 86.7 points and 10.9 3-pointers per game.
Pitt junior forward Jamel Artis said that the familiarity with Duquesne’s players has made the game a lot of fun the past two years, and he knows this is the best team Duquesne has had in his time with the Panthers. “This has been a rivalry since the old times,” he said. “They are a better team this year, I think. They think they can play with us, so we have to be ready to play.
“They have started off pretty good, but they haven’t played anybody yet. They have blown everyone out.”
Artis acknowledged Pitt’s recent dominance in the series, but said there are other factors that make the game a rivalry. The players all know each other from summer league games, which makes it more intense than most non-conference games, he said, then add in the fact that the winner has city bragging rights.
Which is why he found the comment from guard Derrick Colter that the Dukes were the faster team so interesting. “I think they are talking a lot of stuff right now, at least I’m hearing that, so I am coming out ready to play my hardest in this game because I really want to get this win.
“And if they do get this win, it will be a big win for them,” Artis said. “They are going to try to outrun us, for sure, and I heard they said we are slow, which, I don’t think we are slow. We know they are going to try to run us in transition, so we will be ready for that.”
Duquesne’s 3-point shooters and transition game will be a good test for the Panthers defensively, Dixon said, who added that the Dukes, with their experienced guards, are as good as their record would indicate.
“I would think [this is Ferry’s best team] just based on their seniors,” Dixon said. “Jim is a good coach and they are getting better. When you have three senior guards, you would think he would have to feel good about his team.
“I just know they are very good, they are 6-1 and they have some neutral-court wins and that is a good sign right there.”
Paul Zeise: pzeise@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1720 and Twitter @paulzeise.
First Published: December 4, 2015, 5:00 a.m.